IOLA, KANSAS OFFICE OF THE ALLEN COUNTY CLERK January 6 ...

Commissioners discussed ambulance subsidies. Discussion followed. No action was taken atthis time.Commissioners will not be meeting on February 10 to attend Kansas Government Days inTopeka.Bill King, Public Works Director, discussed up coming bids for machinery and equipment.Bill reported Steve Cole would be retiring March 16, 2004.Bill discussed landfill costs. He will gather information for 2003 expenses.Bill discussed the airport project. He stated Swab Eaton had to cancel his appointment for today.Bill reported Marty Taylor, G.I.S., is working on land description for farmland at the airport. I twill be put out for bid late this winter.Bill reported the Bobcat is not working, as it should. Discussion followed. Bill will check intoreplacing the Bobcat.Robbie Atkins, Allen County Sheriff, and Roy Smith, Undersheriff, discussed vehicles for thesheriff’s department. Sheriff Atkins stated there is no money in the 2004 budget for newvehicles and he is looking at paying out vacation and sick leave to a retiring employee.Discussion followed on used vehicles and light bars. Johnson County is buying LCD lights, andthat is what he would like to buy for a new vehicle. He requested to purchase used highwaypatrol cars to replace two of the current vehicles. Discussion followed on maintenance on someof the other deputy cars. Commissioners requested Sheriff Atkins check prices for new vehiclesbefore decisions are made on the used vehicles. Sheriff Atkins stated the used vehicles would bea “stop gap” fix for the department. He mentioned that the pickup trucks are needed to haul anymeth equipment confiscated. No action was taken at this time.Claudia Christiansen, Southeast Kansas Community Action Program Interim Director ofTransportation out of Girard, discussed what they do for Allen County; they provided 5,000miles of transportation; they actually transported 1,522 persons (she stated some of these may bethe same person); donations from the riders totaled $273.00; the transportation operation costwas $4,567.86 for Allen County in 2003. Discussion followed on total services provided to theentire Southeast Kansas, which include Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Linn, andMontgomery. Ms. Christiansen discussed future visions concerning computerizing vehicleswith GPS systems. She stated grants would have to be applied for a new facility and equipment.Discussion followed on the need for lifts on vehicles and other needs. SEK CAP is available togeneral public; no age limits or ride limits. She stated it is published twice a year in the localnewspaper. Ms. Christiansen stated if any extra funding is available for transportation to keepSEK CAP in mind and that since Allen County’s transportation is strictly elderly, that they couldwork more in our area.